Marcelo Cavazos

Marcelo Cavazos, the man who leads Arlington’s schools system, was named Texas Superintendent of the Year this afternoon. The honor came at the annual Texas Association of School Boards conference in Houston – and it includes a $5,000 prize. The five finalists also included another North Texan, DeSoto superintendent David Harris.

With a new school superintendent taking over this fall in Houston, every one of Texas’ eight largest cities now has a Latino running the school district. That’s a big deal in a state with a surging Hispanic population and a history of political underrepresentation. In the first chapter of a statewide collaborative series, KERA digs into the implications for students, schools and the politics of education.

Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa and three other North Texas superintendents met with U.S. Senator John Cornyn in Dallas today. They all gave their two cents on the new federal education law, agreeing the Every Student Succeeds Act frees them from restrictions under the old No Child Left Behind law.